Waterville/Winslow bridge closed until June

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Starting this past Monday, January 6, 2025, through June 20, 2025, the project will be closing the Ticonic bridge to all traffic for construction activities requiring access to the entire bridge. During this time, pedestrians will NOT be allowed to transit the bridge. Both pedestrians and vehicles will be required to follow the posted detour routes. The detour routes can be found in the traffic control drawings on the MaineDOT website (Plans F-H). Message boards will be used to warn drivers of the closure.

On June 20, westbound vehicle traffic will remain prohibited from the bridge for a period of approximately one year. Westbound traffic should continue to follow the detour routes that are posted. Eastbound traffic will be reopened at approximately 5 p.m., on June 20, 2025, and will be allowed access to the bridge during the westbound detour. At that time the bridge will reopen to pedestrian traffic utilizing the new sidewalk on the upstream side of the bridge.

The Maine Department of Transportation will be replacing the Ticonic Bridge (#2854), located on Route 201 over the Kennebec River, at the Waterville-Winslow town line. The Ticonic Bridge will be replaced on alignment, with a new two span, steel girder with concrete bridge deck structure. A single concrete pier will be built in the river to support the new bridge.

This new structure will replace the aging Ticonic Bridge, portions of which are over 100 years old and at the end of their useful life. The new bridge will carry five lanes of traffic similar to the existing bridge, feature widened shoulders for bicyclists, and include sidewalks on both sides of the bridge.

The new Ticonic Bridge will be built one half at a time. During construction limiting the number of lanes on the bridge will be necessary to provide the space needed by the contractor to demolish the existing bridge and to build the new one.

While construction is underway, two lanes of eastbound traffic will be maintained across the bridge with westbound traffic detoured south to the Carter Memorial Bridge. During the first half of construction, pedestrians will be detoured to the nearby Two Cent Bridge pedestrian crossing.

The bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians for up to 25 weeks during construction to support the safe and efficient completion of critical construction activities.

Eugene Field retires as Vassalboro public works director

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Outgoing Vassalboro Public Works director, Eugene Field, left, with his wife Debbie, at his retirement party held on December 13, 2024, at Natanis Golf Course. (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Back in the early ’80s, Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., reminisced, when his father, Frederick Denico Sr., was on the Vassalboro select board, he brought home the report that there was “a young kid working for the town” under the federal CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) program.

“That was 44 years and six town managers ago,” Denico observed.

The “kid” was Eugene “Gene” Field, and Denico was master of ceremonies at his Dec. 13 retirement party, attended by more than 75 people.

During his 44 years, Field rose to become Vassalboro’s public works director. “We were very lucky to have him for all those years,” Denico said, praising Field for his many skills – preparing and explaining budgets, managing a crew, keeping up with equipment needs, running the equipment himself.

Mary Sabins, the former town manager under whom Field worked longest, called him her “go-to guy for road issues” and praised his willingness to lend his expertise and his crew for other town needs as well.

Denico read a message from current town manager Aaron Miller, recovering from bronchitis, regretting that he had not had more time to learn from Field.

Former budget committee and select board member Lauchlin Titus remembered that Field always presented an annual budget request with “good numbers and reasons.” On the select board, Titus said, he found Field’s reports to board meetings one of the best sources of information about what was going on in town.

State Senator Richard Bradstreet read a letter commending Field for his dedicated service and commitment, with a lasting impact on the town.

Peter Coughlan and Tammy Sobiecki represented the Community Services Division of the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT). One of its responsibilities is providing training for municipal road crews; they commended Field for his consistent willingness to learn and to send department members to learn. Vassalboro is consistently represented at training sessions, they said.

Sobiecki had a two-page list of classes Field had attended since 1990, and shared some of the titles with her audience. She gave Field a plaque recognizing his excellence in public works.

Coughlan, on behalf of the Maine Chapter of the American Public Works Association, said that group gave Field its 2018 Maine Public Works Leader of the Year award. He read a letter from the organization praising Field’s contributions to Vassalboro and gave Field a copy of the letter and a photo of the earlier award presentation.

After the speeches, public works department members unveiled the highlight of the evening: the new sign to go on Vassalboro’s public works garage, designating the Eugene D. Field Public Works Complex.

Field replied briefly, saying he had enjoyed his 44 years and was looking forward to time off. The audience responded with standing applause.

Town office staff organized the retirement party, held at the Natanis Golf Course clubhouse. It included a generous buffet meal; Field and his wife Debbie headed the line. Tables were decorated with small plastic dump trucks and other road-work vehicles, and with orange traffic cones labeled “No Work Zone Retired 2024.”

EVENTS: January history talk at Waterville Historical Society on Fort Halifax

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Fort Halifax, in Winslow.

Friends of Fort Halifax President, Ray Caron, is back by popular demand for the Saturday, January 11, history talk. When one thinks of Winslow and its defining history, few would not mention Fort Halifax. But what do we know about its history? The blockhouse is the oldest in the United States and the site is a National Historic Landmark. Ray is going to get into the details and tell us much more we may not know about this iconic structure and the larger fort which once existed. Passionate about area history, Ray will also cover topics about the lands at the confluence of the Sebasticook and Kennebec rivers, the Native Americans, early settlers, Benedict Arnold, and more.

Joining Ray, to add additional perspectives to his presentation, will be Peter Tompkins who has an extensive postcard and memorabilia collection about Fort Halifax; Mickey Pouliot, a Winslow contractor, who has worked on most structures at the park and has helped with the challenges of rebuilding the blockhouse; Fort Halifax Chapter, DAR members will speak about their previous ownership of the blockhouse for many decades; and Mike Heavener, former town manager, of Winslow, who was responsible for the successful grant award to transform the park to what it is today.

Share this announcement; bring a friend! The door opens at 2 p.m., for light refreshments, viewing of postcards and memorabilia, and socializing. Our presentation begins at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free. Snow date is January 18, same time and place, Marriner Hall at Redington Museum, 62 Silver Street, Waterville. For more information, please call 207-872-9439.

PHOTO: I see you!

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Sarah Sanchez, of Washington, photographed this red fox well camouflaged in the woods.

Legion Christmas stockings drive

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Contributed photos

The American Legion Post #126, in Vassalboro, thanks all the individuals and groups who donated items and volunteered to fill the stockings. Through their generosity 250 Christmas stockings and 20 Hanukkah dreidels were filled on December 9, 2024, and delivered December 12.

Local Rotary Club wraps up busy year of community service

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Rotarians Raising Awareness on Purple Pinky Day at the Alfond Youth Center.

The Waterville Rotary Noon club has had a busy year of putting “Service above Self”. With the new Rotary year starting in July, the club has already completed several Community Outreach and assistance projects.

Tina Chapman and Tom Longstaff, two of the 20 Waterville Rotary Club members, who rang the bell for the Salvation Army.

In June, to wrap up the previous year, Rotary District #7790 hosted its District Conference, in Waterville. Visiting many local businesses, tours, and events, Waterville saw an economic impact of over $100,000 in spending over the two-day conference. Many visitors also extended their stay in Waterville beyond the conference.

In the spring, many club members took part in a clean-up in the South End neighborhood along Carter Memorial Drive. Rotarians spent morning hours cleaning up trash along the busy road and collecting returnable bottles and cans.

The annual Online Fall Auction the Club hosts brought in over $11,000 this past November. Proceeds from this auction will be used to help the club provide resources and help with Mental Health. Many local businesses donated items to the auction, and Rotarians were responsible for soliciting items.

The club does many community service and outreach projects throughout the year. Michele Prince, who serves on the Community Service committee states “the Waterville Rotary Club provides members with a wide variety of ways to engage with and positively impact the community. It is rewarding to be involved in these projects, and it’s also a lot of fun!” Other projects worth mentioning are the volunteer and financial support of the Maine Children’s Home Christmas program, financial support of the Maine Children’s Home Winter Essentials program, Salvation Army Bell ringing, and raising awareness and funds to help Rotary International in the eradication of Polio through the Purple Pinky Polio Project.

The club takes an active role in many community projects, and always invites others with the same service mindset to join them on a project or nominate a project. The best way to be involved is to become a member of the club. For more information, please email wtvlrotaryclub@gmail.com.

Waterville Rotary South End Clean Up team.

Judson Smith adjusting well at Maine School of Science & Mathematics

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Judson Smith, center, flanked by his mother Lisa Libby, left, and his father Zachary Smith. (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro resident Judson Smith, 14, has no regrets about choosing the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), in Limestone, as his high school.

Home for Christmas break after his first semester, Smith said adjustment wasn’t easy, but now, “I’m happy with it. I really like the school.”

His parents, Zachary Smith and Lisa Libby, are also pleased with their son’s choice. They appreciate the education, and the frequent contact with the school – the one day their son was ill, they had a conversation with the school nurse who attended him in his dormitory room.

Courses are hard, advanced enough that students can arrange to get college credit at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Smith is satisfied with his A’s and B’s.

MSSM students take at least four core courses a semester; Smith’s were math, science, English and French. Next semester, maybe six, he said.

Students live on campus. Their dormitory, close to the academic building that also houses Limestone Community High School, has two wings for boys and two for girls, plus common areas: a lounge, a kitchenette, a room with pool tables, a fitness room and a gym. In the academic building is an Olympic-size swimming pool that MSSM and LCHS share, Smith said.

In some ways, Smith makes MSSM sound almost overprotective. Students need a phone app to check out of their dormitories. There are mandatory study hours from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, with students who have shown a need for supervision expected to report to the library and the rest to study in their rooms or other appropriate places (including picnic tables in mild weather). Students’ bicycles were locked in a storage shed before the first snowfall.

Every student has a campus job, Smith said, though nothing that takes a lot of time away from education.

Students also enjoy a multitude of activities, sports and clubs. The seniors who serve as dorm residents organize activities. Every other weekend offers a shopping trip to Presque Isle, a city half an hour away that’s almost six times the size of Limestone.

The lettuce club intrigues Smith’s mother. Smith explained that the club meets annually: a head of lettuce is put before each student, and whoever eats his or hers fastest becomes club president.

When a student has a birthday, the food service staff bakes him or her a cake.

Most important, Smith said, is the constant support, from teachers, other staff and fellow students. When he found himself ill-prepared for one of his courses, he was able to get almost daily help from his teacher and from other students. By next year, he sees himself helping first-year students.

“It’s definitely a difficult school. They try their best to make it fun, but a challenge at the same time,” he summarized.

Leader of Main Street Skowhegan recognized at White House event

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Kristina Cannon

USDA Rural Development State Director Rhiannon Hampson joined U.S. Under Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Basil Gooden, in Washington, D.C. Together they recognized Kristina Cannon, President and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan, as a Rural Innovator. Cannon was one of 14 Rural Innovators honored at a special White House event commemorating the positive impact these leaders have in their communities. Public nominations for the awards began in May and were announced this fall.

Maine Rural Development State Director Hampson nominated Cannon for the award. Recently she wrote, “Kristina Cannon is a trailblazer who has revolutionized the way Skowhegan approaches revitalization—through asset-based, community-led initiatives—leveraging outdoor recreation, local agriculture, and entrepreneurship as powerful tools for economic development.” She went on, “Kristina has built trust locally, regionally, and nationally by partnering and collaborating with dozens of organizations, state and federal government agencies, and businesses. Rural Development is proud to be a partner in this work.”

Following the White House gathering, Cannon reflected on her experience in Washington and her work in Maine. “It’s humbling to be honored alongside highly accomplished colleagues from across the nation,” she said. “In rural communities, it’s never just one person doing the work; this recognition belongs to our steadfast partners, supporters, volunteers, and my amazing team who are working tirelessly every day to ensure Skowhegan and Central Maine realize their ultimate potential as a thriving and resilient rural region.”

Under Secretary Gooden helped celebrate the honorees at the event. Recently he traveled to Maine, attending the GrowSmart Maine Annual Summit, in Waterville, on October 21, 2024. In delivering a keynote speech at the summit, he recognized the power of innovative collaborations between federal, state, and local partners in rural communities. “Don’t ever underestimate the power you have when you collaborate,” he urged the audience.

The community leaders recognized as Rural Innovators this week collaborate at all levels. Many have leveraged federal resources to create good-paying jobs, spur economic growth, and improve rural quality of life. At Main Street Skowhegan, for example, Cannon has led an effort to raise more than $10 million for revitalization initiatives. Under her leadership, the organization has become a major player in regional economic development, spearheading a comprehensive approach to community transformation through outdoor recreation. The organization also provides business planning support and programming as part of a regional hub-and-spoke entrepreneurial ecosystem partnership.

Supporting rural-led economic development, investing in rural American infrastructure, and strengthening local and regional food systems were a few of the priorities of the Rural Innovators Initiative. The work of the nonprofit Skowhegan Main Street and partnering organizations exemplify these goals.

Pursuing federal funding can be a labor-intensive but impactful way to advance community projects, and the collaborating groups in Skowhegan have been successful in this regard. For example, this week USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced an award for Maine Grains in Skowhegan to increase grain processing capacity. Previous USDA awards to area nonprofits include a Rural Business Development Grant (Main Street Skowhegan) and a Healthy Food Financing Initiative grant (Land and Furrow).

Stormwater solution highlights power of collaboration for China Lake

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stormwater runoff before

Submitted by Jennifer Syer

A serious runoff problem that was dumping phosphorus-laden water into China Lake has been resolved, thanks to teamwork that saw private landowners, nonprofits, and government agencies joining forces with the goal of protecting the lake’s water quality.

The issue originated with a culvert that drained runoff under Lakeview Drive from 40 acres of woodland east of the road. In 2015, new owners of what would become The Cottages at China Lake installed an additional culvert to direct runoff from the roadside into a plunge pool near the shoreline. Over time, the pool filled with sediment and vegetation. “The water would rush straight into the lake, untreated and uncontrolled,” said John Perron, a Cottages owner and member of the property’s buildings and grounds committee.

stormwater runoff after

Recognizing the problem, Perron and Cottages’ association president Mike Stillman contacted Scott Pierz – then head of the China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA), and former president of China Lake Association – who they knew had previously been involved in shoreline protection at the property. “It was really time to take up the task,” Pierz said.

He brought in CLA, which then reached out to the state Department of Environmental Protection and Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District for additional help.

“This was a highly collaborative effort,” said CLA President Stephen Greene. “Everyone had the lake’s best interest in mind.”

Eventually, Boyd Snowden, of Snowden Consulting Engineers, was brought into the fold to design a site plan, which was developed over a year’s worth of visits, planning and permit approvals. The final design included a plunge pool, catch basin and vegetated buffer to trap sediment and slow runoff before it reached the lake.

“We didn’t just stop at the basics,” said Snowden, who has been designing storm-water containment systems for more than 30 years. “We added a meadow buffer to provide the best treatment possible.”

Funding came from multiple sources. Maine DEP authorized KCSWCD to allocate $14,000 through a federal grant* aimed at reducing phosphorus in China Lake. CLA contributed $9,321, matched by the Cottages’ 20 owners, while CRLA provided $5,000.

Construction began in October 2024 after permits were secured. Over the course of a week, W.D. Chadwick Construction installed the multi-tiered system, which now filters the runoff, trapping sediment from running into the lake – and fueling algae growth and harming water quality. Fieldstone Gardens, of Vassalboro, supplied plants for the buffer area.

Pierz expressed confidence that the Cottages’ association will maintain the system and continue improving shoreline protections. Greene praised the project as a model for collaboration between private owners, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and contractors.

“This project shows how teamwork and a shared goal can solve complex problems,” Greene said. “The China Lake Association is proud to have been a part of a solution that will benefit the lake for decades to come.”

  * Funding for this project, in part, was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA. EPA does not endorse any commercial products or services mentioned.

Four Seasons of Giving: Local event brings joy to families in need

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On Monday, December 16, China Four Seasons Club President Tom Rumpf, left, presented the Town of China with a check for $1,400, proceeds from the Four Season of Trees event. Accepting the check was Sydney Laird, Deputy Clerk for the Town of China. (photo courtesy of Tom Rumpf)

by Sandra Isaac

The China Four Seasons Club recently held its annual “Four Seasons of Trees” event. The event, held over three weekends in late November and early December, showcased more than 13 beautifully decorated trees with unique themes – including all four seasons, which inspired the event’s name – and over 23 gift baskets, all generously donated by local businesses and community members. The community came out in full force, purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win these festive items. Winners were announced during a live Facebook event, adding an exciting twist to the proceedings.

What many people may not know is the remarkable impact this event had on the local community. Thanks to the overwhelming support and participation, the China Four Seasons Club raised enough funds to donate $1,400 to the Town of China’s Christmas Assistance Program. This program, managed by town employees, plays a vital role in brightening the holidays for local children whose families may be facing financial difficulties, ensuring that every child has something special to open during the holiday season.

The China Four Seasons Club extends heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to this year’s success. From those who donated trees and baskets to the volunteers who worked tirelessly to organize the event, and of course, to the community members who purchased raffle tickets – your support made a difference. These collective efforts will undoubtedly bring joy to local children and their families this holiday season.